Militants Are Edging South Toward West Africa’s Most Stable and Prosperous States
Wall Street JournalMar 02, 2022
On Tues., the government of Burkina Faso reported that 79 bodies have been recovered so far following a weekend attack by suspected Islamist militants on the village of Seytenga in the northern province of Seno.
The supposed act of revenge followed the killing of 11 gendarmes in the same area on Thurs., which led to a military operation in which the army reported that 40 jihadists were killed.
The Islamist threat continues to destabilize the Sahel. For years, however, Washington has warned that jihadists are also targeting West Africa. Various coups in recent years have hampered the efforts of European states such as France, but also the US, to get the situation under control by militarily supporting local governments. The coup in Burkina Faso is just one of the latest sad examples.
The deteriorating security crisis in West Africa is primarily the result of the West's decade-long political and military interference under the guise of fighting terrorism. And it's no coincidence that anti-European and especially anti-French sentiment is on the rise. There is hope for the region only when it's no longer possible for the West to pursue its geopolitical interests unchallenged by pretending to "help."